"And if anybody going was in debt, or even if he had done
a crime--so that it wasn't treason or anything the Holy
Office handles--he couldn't be troubled or held back, seeing
it was royal errand. That is very convenient for some."
Pedro lost patience. "You'd make the best of Hell itself!"
"He'd deny," put in Fernando, "Holy Writ that says
there shall be sorrows!"
They embarked upon loud blame of Sancho, instance after
instance. At last I cut them across. "What further happened
at Palos?"
They put back to that port. "Oh, it didn't seem so bad
that day! One and another thought, `Perhaps I'll go!'
Him they call The Admiral is a big figure of a man, and of
course we that use the sea get to know how a good captain
looks. We knew that he had sailed and sailed, and had had
his own ship, maybe two or three of them! Then too the
Pinzons and the Prior of La Rabida answered for him. A
lot of us almost belong to the Pinzons, having signed to
fish and voyage for them, and the Prior is a well-liked man.
The alcalde folds up the letter as though he were in church,
and they all come down the steps and go away to the alcalde's
house which is around the corner. It wasn't until
they were gone that Palos began to ask, `Where were three
ships and maybe a hundred and fifty men _going_?' "
"We found out next day," said Fernando.
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